Final answer:
Rounded and enlarged fingers in a patient with a respiratory disorder are documented as clubbing, which is indicative of chronic hypoxemia. This differs from wheezing, cyanosis, and hypoxemia itself, and can be associated with diseases like pneumonia, asthma, COPD, and lung cancer.
Step-by-step explanation:
When assessing a client with a respiratory disorder who presents with rounded and enlarged fingers, this finding is documented as clubbing. Clubbing is a significant physical sign which indicates chronic hypoxemia and can be associated with various respiratory disorders. It is not to be confused with a wheeze, which is an abnormal high-pitched whistling sound heard with a stethoscope during breathing, or cyanosis, a bluish discolouration of the skin due to poor blood oxygenation. Hypoxemia is the condition of having low oxygen levels in the blood, which can be detected using a pulse oximeter, as was done in the case of Barbara who suffered from pneumonia, a respiratory disorder where the alveoli become inflamed and fill with fluid.
Doctors can detect increased resistance in the lungs using devices such as spirometers and nebulizers. A spirometer helps to diagnose a restrictive disease by measuring the rate at which air can be inhaled or exhaled from the lungs, while a nebulizer is typically used to deliver medication directly into the lungs. Several respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer can present with various symptoms including a reduction in airflow and abnormal radiographic images.